ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
UPDATES on COVID-19
14 States/UTs have higher TPM and lower Positivity Rate than India average
74% New Cases are concentrated in 10 States/UTs
India's testing capacity has surged to more than 12 lakh daily tests. Higher than 6.6 cr total tests have been conducted across the country. A high level of testing leads to early identification of positive cases. As evidence has revealed, eventually Positivity Rate will fall.
As India rides the wave of very high testing, 14 States/UTs have demonstrated better COVID response with higher Tests Per Million  and commensurate lower Positivity Rate than the national average.
The national cumulative Positivity Rate is 8.52% and the Tests Per Million stands at 48028 today.
A total of 83,347 new cases have been reported in the last 24 hours in the country.
74% of the new confirmed cases are concentrated in 10 States/UTs.
Maharashtra has alone contributed more than 18,000 followed by Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka with more than more than 7,000 and 6,000 cases respectively.
1,085 deaths have been registered in the past 24 hours.
10 States/UTs account for 83% of the deaths in the last 24 hours due to COVID.
Maharashtra reported 392 deaths followed by Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh with 83and 77 deaths, respectively.
President's Secretariat
PRESIDENT OF INDIA PRESENTS PRADHAN MANTRI RASHTRIYA BAL PURASKAR 2023
The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, 2023 on 11 children at an award ceremony held in New Delhi today .
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that children are the invaluable assets of our country. Every effort made to build their future would shape the future of our society and country. We should make every effort for their safe and happy childhood and bright future. By awarding the children, we are encouraging and honouring their contribution in nation-building.
The President said that some of the award winners have shown such indomitable courage and valour at such a young age that she was not only surprised but also overwhelmed to know about them. Their examples are inspirational for all children and youth.
The President said that we are celebrating the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav across the country. We achieved our freedom after a tough struggle. That's why it is expected from the new generation that all of them should recognize the value of this freedom and protect it. She advised children to think about the interest of the country and work for the country wherever they get opportunities.
The President said that philanthropy has been given the highest place in Indian life-values. Life is meaningful only for those who live for others. The sense of love for the entire humanity, the culture of taking care of animals, birds and plants is a part of Indian life-values. She was happy to note that today's kids are more conscious towards the environment. She advised them to keep in mind that whatever they do is not affecting the environment adversely. She urged them to plant and protect trees. She also urged them to save energy and motivate elders also for this.
The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar are being conferred upon children in the age group 5 – 18 years, for their excellence in six categories - Art and Culture, Bravery, Innovation, Scholastic, Social Service and Sports. This year, awards were presented in the categories of Art and Culture, Bravery, Innovation, Social Service and Sports.
Please click here to see the President's Speech -
Ministry of Finance
FAQs in respect of filling-up of the Income-tax return forms for Assessment Year 2019-20
The Income-tax return  forms for the Assessment Year 2019-20 have been notified on 01.04.2019. Subsequently, queries have been raised by the stakeholders in respect of filling-up of the ITR forms. These queries are primarily in respect of the reporting of certain details in the ITR forms, such as reporting of directorship in a foreign company, reporting of equity shares listed outside India, unlisted shares which were previously listed, reporting of unlisted shares received by way of gift, will, amalgamation etc. and reporting of certain assets held as stock-in-trade.
The queries have been examined by CBDT and have been clarified vide Circular No. 18 /2019 dated 08th August, 2019. A copy of the Circular has been placed on www.incometaxindia.gov.in.
Ministry of Defence
EXERCISE EASTERN BRIDGE -VI
AT AIR FORCE STATION JODHPUR
The Indo-Oman exercise, Eastern Bridge-VI  was successfully conducted at Air Force Station Jodhpur from 21 to 25 February 2022. Royal Air Force of Oman  participated with Indian Air Force  in the exercise which was aimed at providing operational exposure and undertaking mutual exchange of best practices, towards enhancing operational capabilities of both the Air Forces.
Senior officers from both sides who visited Air Force Station Jodhpur during this exercise included RAFO's Director General Operations and IAF South Western Air Command's Senior Air Staff Officer. They discussed further prospects of mutual co-operation. The exercise provided an opportunity for fruitful interaction between IAF and RAFO elements through mutual exchange of experience and operational knowledge. It also provided avenues of cultural exchanges between the personnel of both countries.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
COVID-19 UPDATE
220.66 cr Total Vaccine doses  have been administered so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive
2,194 doses administered in last 24 hours
India's Active caseload currently stands at 19,613
Active cases stand at 0.04%
Recovery Rate currently at 98.77%
3,469 recoveries in the last 24 hours increases Total Recoveries to 4,44,25,250
1,690 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours
Daily positivity rate 
Weekly Positivity Rate 
92.82 cr Total Tests conducted so far; 1,47,177 tests conducted in the last 24 hours
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Ministry of Education signs MOU with PHDCCI on Vidyanjali
Department of School Education and Literacy , Ministry of Education signed a Memorandum of Understanding  with PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry  on Vidyanjali on 13 July, at the chamber of Commerce and Industry’s headquarter.
Vidyanjali is a school volunteer management program of Ministry of Education aims to strengthen Government and Government aided schools through community and private sector involvement across the country. This initiative connects volunteers from all spheres of life including the industry.
By leveraging the expertise and resources of the PHD Chamber of Commerce, this collaboration seeks to create a powerful synergy that will positively impact the quality of education with the help of industries’ efforts in CSR for schools through the Vidyanjali portal.
The MoU outlines a framework for cooperation between the Ministry of Education and the PHD Chamber of Commerce to promote various activities under the Vidyanjali program, including scaling up industry’s efforts in CSR for schools through the Vidyanjali portal; jointly organizing sensitisation sessions for industry to support government schools; showcasing role models of corporate support to government schools; creating a platform for recognition of exemplary corporate support to government schools through Vidyanjali and jointly organizing capacity building programmes for promoting entrepreneurship and increasing employability.
Speaking on this occasion, Ms A Srija, Economic Advisor, Department of School Education and Literacy said that this is the first time an industry body has come forward to consolidate the work being done by corporates to support Government schools in Vidyanjali. We hope that this MoU will lead to shining of requisite light on role models of exemplary partnerships between industry and academia. DoSEL looks forward to working with PHDCCI on Vidyanjali, she added.
Expressing enthusiasm about the partnership, Mr Saurabh Sanyal, CEO & Secretary General of PHDCCI who signed the MoU on behalf of the chamber said that PHDCCI’s legacy of 118 years and its strong network of industry which has been doing service for the cause of education for long, will help in advocating the cause of Vidyanjali. We look forward to working with the Ministry of Education for value-addition in the quality of Government schools, he added.
The Ministry of Education and the PHD Chamber of Commerce are confident that this collaborative effort under Vidyanjali will yield transformative outcomes, creating a positive impact on the educational landscape of the nation. By synergizing their strengths and resources, both entities aim to empower students, enhance employability, and foster a culture of lifelong learning in Government and Government aided schools.
Prime Minister's Office
PM congratulates Manu Bhaker, Rahi Sarnobat, Saurabh Chaudhary and Abhishek Verma for winning medals at ISSF President’s Cup in Poland
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated Manu Bhaker, Rahi Sarnobat, Saurabh Chaudhary and Abhishek Verma for winning medals at the ISSF President’s Cup in Poland.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said;
"Congratulations to @realmanubhaker, @SarnobatRahi, @SChaudhary2002 and @abhishek_70007 for winning medals at the @ISSF_Shooting President’s Cup in Poland. The people of India are proud of their stupendous performance. Best wishes to these athletes for their future endeavours."
Ministry of Finance
India needs greater thrust on innovation to become the third largest Economy, especially from the private sector
Survey Calls for scaling up of Business Sector Contribution to R&D by more than 50 %
India entered the top 50 innovating countries for the first time in 2020 since the inception of the Global Innovation Index in 2007, by improving its rank from 81 in 2015 to 48 in 2020. India ranks first in Central and South Asia, and third amongst lower middle-income group economies points out the Economic Survey 2020-21 tabled by the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament today
Greater Thrust on Innovation required:
India needs greater thrust on innovation to catapult itself to a higher growth trajectory and become the third largest economy in GHDP current US$ in the near future, says the Economic Survey 2020-21. This requires boosting gross expenditure on R&D from 0.7 per cent of GDP currently, to at least the average level of Gross Domestic Expenditure onin other top ten economies  of over two per cent. It also involves significantly calling up R&D personnel and researchers in the country, especially in the private sector.
Business sector should increase pending on R&D and Innovation:
The Economic Survey has stated that the Government sector contributes a disproportionately the large share in total GERD at three times the average of other large economies. However, the business sector’s contribution to GERD is amongst the lowest in India. The business sector’s contribution to total R&D personnel and researchers also lags behind that in other large economies. This situation has prevailed despite the tax incentives for innovation having been more liberal than other economies. India’s innovation ranking is much lower than expected for its level of access to equity capital. This points towards the need for India’s business sector to significantly ramp up investments in R&D. India’s performance on Innovations has been lowered than expected for its level of its accessing to equity finance, observed the Survey. It highlighted the need for boosting business sector contribution to total GERD from the current 37% to close to 68%. The Survey also suggests that the sectors total R&D contribution needs to be scaled from the present level of 30% and 34% personnel of researches respectively , to 58% and 53% respectively.
Rise in patent applications:
The Survey says that for India to become an Innovation leader, its residents’ share in total patents applications filed in the country must rise from the current level of 36%, at a CAGR of 9.8% to reach the top 10 economies by 2030.
According to the Survey, India should focus on improving its performance on institutions and business sophistication since higher performance on these dimensions have been noted to consistently suggest higher innovation. The Survey has suggested the key focus areas for boosting innovation performance which include - improvement of ease of resolving insolvency, ease of starting up a business, political and operational stability, regulatory quality cost of redencencies business etc.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Sports Funding through National Sports Federations
Under the Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations , funds are provided for conduct of national championships, international tournaments in India, participation in international tournaments abroad, coaching camps, purchase of equipments, engagement of foreign coaches, etc. Budgetary allocation for Scheme of Assistance to NSFs during 2019-20 was Rs. 300.85 crore and budgetary allocation during current financial year 2020-21 is Rs. 245.00 crore.
An amount of Rs.390.42 crore has been allocated for creation of capital assets i.e. for utilization and creation/upgradation of sports infrastructure in this Financial Year 2020-21 as compared 295.87 crore spent on the same during last Financial Year 2019-20.
This information was given by Union Minister of State  for Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri KirenRijiju in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
DPIIT to Launch Plastic Waste Management Campaign for Swachhta Hi Sewa 2019
As part of Prime Minister’s call to action for Plastic Waste Management, during his Independence Day speech, the theme of this year’s Swachhta hi Sewa is Plastic Waste Management. Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade , Ministry of Commerce & Industry, is playing a critical two-fold role for the success of the campaign as mandated by Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
First, DPIIT will ensure recycling of plastic waste collected on 2nd October 2019 in cement kilns and second, collect plastic waste through nationwide shramdaan on 2nd October 2019. For this DPIIT has requested all the State Governments and Union Territories to mobilise the Industrial Parks in States and Union Territories for collection of plastic waste across all Industrial Estates, Parks, Corridors, Nodes and Industrial Areas for the Swachhta hi Sewa 2019 campaign beginning from 11th September, 2019.
The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, has requested DPIIT to mandate the use of plastic waste by cement kilns and DPIIT will ensure that all collected plastic waste may be recycled in cement kilns by Diwali this year.
On 2nd October, for the Swachhta hi Sewa campaign this year, DPIIT personnel will undertake Shramdaan and ensure the collection of plastic waste on and around industrial areas all across the country.
DPIIT has requested State Governments to sensitize Industrial Parks by focusing on Plastic Waste Management on a sustained and continuous basis. State and Union Territory Governments will monitor the campaign through their nodal teams to be set up by them.
Ministry of Defence
DRDO & AICTE launch regular M. Tech. Program in defence technology
A regular M.Tech. Program in Defence Technology has been launched by Defence Research and Development Organisation  and All India Council for Technical Education  to impart necessary theoretical & experimental knowledge, skill and aptitude in various defence technology areas. Secretary Department of Defence R&D & Chairman DRDODr G Satheesh Reddy and Chairman AICTE Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhelaunched the program during a virtual event organised by AICTE, New Delhi on July 08, 2021. The program will motivate the aspiring engineers to start their career in defence technology.
This M.Tech. defence technology program can be conducted at any AICTE affiliated Institutes/Universities, IITs, NITs or private engineering institutes.Institute of Defence Scientists & Technologists  will provide support to the institutes for conducting this program, which can be conducted in online as well as offline formats. The program has six specialized streams - Combat Technology, Aero Technology, Naval Technology, Communication Systems & Sensors, Directed Energy Technology and High Energy Materials Technology. The students will also be provided opportunities to conduct their main thesis work in DRDO laboratories, Defence PSUs & Industries. The program will be helpful to students seeking opportunities in ever expanding defence research and manufacturing sector.
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has congratulated DRDO, AICTE & Industries for starting a Post Graduate Program in Defence Technology. He said the program will help in achieving ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’envisionedby Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
In his address, Dr G Satheesh Reddy congratulated DRDO, AICTE and industries for evolving the PG program. He expressed hope that such a specialised program will enable the creation of a large pool of talented workforce for defence sector. He called upon the industry leaders to extend their support for this program and offer opportunities to the students.
Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe expressed happiness over the launch of the program and said it will not only generate skilled manpower pool in defence technology, but will also create spin-off benefits in terms of new defence startups and entrepreneurs. He emphasized that research should be connected with day-to-day life as it is fundamental for human psyche.
Chairman & Managing Director, Bharat Forge Limited Shri Babasaheb Neelkanth Kalyani congratulated DRDO and AICTE for initiating this program and highlighted its importance for creation of talent pool for defence technology with know-how and know-why capability to fulfil the vision of ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’.
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Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying
National Fish Farmer’s Day 2023 Celebration: Fisheries Startup Grand Challenge and Fisheries Startup Conclave
Department of Fisheries Launches Fisheries Startup Grand Challenge in partnership with Startup India hub and DPIIT to identify, reward and recognize startups creating exceptional impact in fisheries ecosystem
National Fish Farmer’s Day to be celebrated on 10th July at Mahabalipuram
The Department of Fisheries launched the Fisheries Startup Grand Challenge in partnership with Startup India hub and DPIIT, to identify, reward and recognize startups creating exceptional impact in the fisheries ecosystem. The Fisheries ecosystem in India has been growing across the years, currently having fisheries startups present in 21 states and union territories.
The Fisheries Startup Grand Challenge sought applications across four problem statements. The challenge received applications from 121 startups across the problem statements. After a rigorous analysis, 12 startups have been selected as winners of the challenge.
The selected startups will be felicitated by Minister for Fisheries Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala in the presence of Ministers of State, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Dr L. Murugan and Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan along with Ministers in-charge Fisheries from various States and senior officers of Central and State Governments on the occasion of National Fish Farmer’s Day on 10th July, 2023 at Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu.
The selected startups under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana will so be provided with a cash grant of INR 2 lakhs to help them continue building their innovations.
The National Fish Farmer’s Day celebration event at Mahabalipuram on 10th July, 2023 will feature an exhibition of 30 exceptional startups from across the country, showcasing the best amongst fisheries innovators in the country. Curated sessions will also be arranged for the startups to help them grow their business further.
Ministry of Civil Aviation
Liberalised Flying Training Organisation  guidelines to encourage FTOs
Capex Plan of Rs.98,000 crore for development, upgradation and modernisation of Airports
India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world and is already the third largest domestic aviation market.
The Government is proactively supporting the aviation sector by providing a stable policy environment and incentivising competition led growth. In 2016, the Government released the National Civil Aviation Policy , which laid out the vision, mission and key objectives for the sector. The Government announced new MRO guidelines on 1st September, 2021 with a view to create a congenial atmosphere in the country for the development of the MRO industry for aircraft/ helicopters/ drones and their engines and other parts. These guidelines inter-alia provide for the allotment of land at Airports Authority of India  airports through call of open tenders without levy of any royalty or cess of whatsoever nature to MRO operators. Similarly, liberalised Flying Training Organisation  guidelines have been approved wherein the concept of airport royalty  has been abolished and land rentals have been significantly rationalised to encourage setting up of FTOs to address the shortage of pilots in the country. The Government has also formulated Helicopter Operation Policy to encourage helicopter operations creating demand and growth.
At present, there are 30 international airports in the country.The Ministry of Civil Aviation regularly interacts with the scheduled airline operators with an aim to promote air connectivity, including to various tourist destinations.
Government of India has accorded 'in-principle' approval for setting up of international Greenfield Airports namely, Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh, Dholera and Hirasar in Gujarat, Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra and Noida  in Uttar Pradesh.
The upgradation of infrastructures/facilities at airports is a continuous process, which is undertaken by the AAI or the concerned Airport Operators depending upon operational requirements, traffic, demand, commercial feasibility etc. Moreover, Ministry of Civil Aviation launched Regional Connectivity Scheme  - UDAN  on 21-10-2016 to stimulate regional air connectivity and make air travel affordable for the masses. Besides, both AAI and other PPP Airport Operators have embarked upon a Capex Plan for more than Rs.98,000 crore including around Rs.25,000 crore by AAI during 2019-24 for development /upgradation/modernisation of various brownfield airports and developing Greenfield Airports to meet the passenger growth and make air travel safer, comfortable and customer friendly.
This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation Gen. V. K. Singh, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.